Team Profile: From the heart of Cape Verde to the courts of Kigali, the journey continues as the nation's basketball warriors set their sights on a triumphant return to the Men's Afrobasket stage in 2025! The Blue Sharks aim for another shot at glory in the ultimate showcase of African basketball prowess!
Last Updated on
February 18, 2024
Elango Mbotona
Staff Writer
The first window of the upcoming FIBA 2025 Men’s AfroBasket qualifiers will take place in the city of Monastir, Tunisia, with several nations eager to secure their spots in Africa's prestigious continental tournament.
To determine qualifying teams, they've been grouped for intense competition, putting their talents to the ultimate test. In this window, we have three groups: B, D, and E. Let's focus on Group B, where Cape Verde, known as the Blue Sharks, will take centre stage.
After their run in 2015’s FIBA Men’s AfroBasket, Cape Verde fought through a pre-qualification phase to reach the 2021 Men’s AfroBasket qualifying tournament. In a fierce battle in Yaoundé, Cameroon, they outperformed Chad and South Sudan despite having only approximately seven players suited up to compete.
Despite the absence of great names like Real Madrid and Euroleague legend Edy Tavares and the notable Almeida brothers (Joel and Ivan), they still managed to make it to the 2021 FIBA Men’s AfroBasket.
Throughout the competition, the African Islanders made it clear to the entire continent and the world that they were back in business, finishing fourth-place in the tournament. The Blue Sharks' unmitigated hunger for more success later saw them successfully secure a spot in the 2023 FIBA World Cup for the first time in the nation's history, on February 26th, 2023.
With heightened confidence, experience, and determination, Cape Verde enters this qualifying tournament with key players such as Betinho Gomes and Ivan Almeida in their arsenal. The availability of center Edy Tavares to suit up for the Blue Sharks remains uncertain due to Euroleague restrictions.
[Photo Credit: FIBA]
